23 July 2025 | Vol. 11, #127

Estimated reading time: 10 minutes

FrontPage sheds light on the different realities between Sri Lanka's two main language communities. By reading today's FrontPage, you can be better informed about the different priorities in the Sinhala and Tamil press.

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DIFFERENT PRIORITIES IN THE SINHALA AND TAMIL PRESS

 

Tamil Headlines

Virakesari: Deshabandu found guilty; parliamentary committee recommends his  removal from the post; Speaker informs parliament | Baby’s skeleton, milk bottle recovered; eight new skeletal remains identified

Thinakaran: Parliamentary committee recommends removal of IGP Deshabandu Tennakoon from the post | India-Sri Lanka ferry service; 17,000 passengers have travelled so far | Software research unit to identify cyber threats

Thinakkural: Obtain the list of those who surrendered at the end of the war; Amnesty International urges the UN that the OMP should ensure obtaining and publishing it | Eight new skeletal remains identified yesterday; many of them are of babies; 15 identified in two days; 80 in total | Deshabandu found guilty of all charges; recommendation to remove him from the post of IGP

Thamilan: Deshabandu found guilty; parliamentary committee recommends to remove him from the post of IGP; Speaker informs parliament | MP Radhakrishnan to bring a proposal on wage increase for plantation workers

Sinhala Headlines

Lankadeepa: Deshabandu found guilty of allegations of misconduct: removed from the IGP post | 80 hand grenades and 80 T-56 bullets found: weapons storage found in a house in Neriyakulam

Divaina: “Committee unanimously finds Deshabandu guilty” – Speaker informs parliament while presenting the committee report

Ada: Deshabandu found guilty of all 23 allegations: a unanimous decision from the parliamentary inquiry committee

Mawbima: Eight elephant deaths reported from various places: “This could be a conspiracy” – Minister of Environment | Youth who was arrested in Kiribathgoda with a T-56 reveals information about an armed gang in Vavuniya

Dinamina: Deshabandu found guilty over misuse of IGP position and allegations of misconduct: recommendations of the committee of inquiry to remove Deshabandu from the IGP position submitted to parliament; parliamentary debate and vote upcoming   

Aruna: 29 CEB trade unions take to the streets to protest the new electricity act; engineers have also shown their support; the only union that did not participate is Ranjan Jayalal’s union 

Anidda: This paper is published on Fridays only

 

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TAMIL PRESS PRIORITIES

 

Photo credits: Tamil Guardian

Baby’s skeleton, feeding bottle recovered; eight new skeletal remains identified      

Thinakkural, Virakesari, Thamilan 

Eight new human skeletons were identified yesterday (22nd) at the Chemmani mass grave site in the Ariyalai area of Jaffna. The discovery occurred on the 17th day of the second phase of the ongoing excavation efforts. Among the remains found, it is suspected that six to seven of the skeletons may belong to children and infants, and items believed to be babies’ feeding bottles were also unearthed. This latest finding brings the total number of identified human skeletons to 80, with 65 having been fully excavated to date.

Obtain the list of those who surrendered at the end of the war; Amnesty International calls on the UN that the OMP should ensure obtaining and publishing it 

Thinakkural 

Amnesty International has submitted a 22-page appeal to the UN Committee on Enforced Disappearances demanding urgent action to address Sri Lanka’s longstanding failure to deliver truth and justice to the families of the disappeared. State authorities are called upon to prioritise the victims’ rights to truth, justice and
reparations without prematurely closing cases. The recommendations demand ensuring seeking foreign technical expertise for mass grave investigations. The OMP is urged to publish the list of those who surrendered to the armed forces at the end of the war to demonstrate progress in its tracing mandate.

MP Adaikkalanathan demands justice for Welikada Prison massacre 

Thinakkural, Thamilan

Addressing parliament yesterday (22nd), Democratic Tamil National Alliance MP Amirthanathan (Selvam)
Adaikkalanathan urged the government to launch an
investigation into the Welikada Prison massacre of July 1983. He demanded that the government locate the mass grave where the victims, who he said were killed within the prison, were buried. Adaikkalanathan stated that 53 Tamil political prisoners and civilians, including leaders
Thangadurai and Kuttimani, were brutally killed on July 25 and 27, 1983, with the complicity of police and prison officials. The MP asserted that the Welikada massacre should be investigated with the same priority as the Easter Sunday attacks.

Letter to the Thaiyiddy monk to immediately vacate the occupied land; sent by the chairperson of the Valikamam North Pradeshiya Sabha     

Thinakkural 

Valikamam North Pradeshiya Sabha Chairperson S. Sugirthan has issued a letter to the chief monk of theThaiyiddy Tissa Vihara instructing him to vacate occupied land immediately or face legal action. The letter follows a complaint from a landowner alleging that the vihara is constructing an illegal building on their property. The letter demands that the monk either submit legal documents proving ownership to the pradeshiya sabha or vacate the land, warning that failure to do so will result in legal proceedings.

 

SINHALA PRESS PRIORITIES

 

Photo credits: Facebook

Eight elephant deaths reported from various places: “This could be a conspiracy” – Minister of Environment

Lankadeepa, Divaina, Ada, Mawbima, Dinamina, Aruna

Minister of Environment Dammika Patabendi yesterday (22nd) told parliament that a formal investigation by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) is needed into the continuous shooting of elephants, as there is a suspicion that these are organised activities. The minister stated that two “waves“ of elephant killings have been created through an organised process, and the current ongoing incidents represent the second wave. Papers further report that the remains of several elephants have been found in Inamaluwa Reserve, Galigamuwa, Meegalewa and Pottuvil.  

President nominates Justice Preethi Padman Surasena for chief justice 

Divaina, Dinamina

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has nominated Supreme Court Justice Preethi Padman Surasena to be the next chief justice of Sri Lanka. The nomination is pending the approval of the Constitutional Council, which is scheduled to meet on Wednesday, July 23, to consider the appointment. The nomination comes as current Chief Justice Murdu Fernando is set to retire on July 27. Justice Fernando is expected to deliver a formal farewell speech before the Supreme Court on July 25. Justice Surasena is one of the most senior judges currently serving on the Supreme Court bench. He previously held a position as a member of the Judicial Service Commission.

The CIABOC did not visit former DIG Rohan’s residence to arrest him – CIABOC 

Divaina, Mawbima

The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) yesterday (22nd) informed the Colombo Magistrate’s Court that there is no necessity at this time to arrest former Director of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), retired Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Rohan Premaratne. An official representing the Bribery Commission made the statement during a hearing for a bail application filed by Premaratne, who was seeking anticipatory bail in the event of a potential arrest. The Bribery Commission also clarified to the magistrate that, contrary to reports by some media outlets, its officials were not sent to the residence of the retired DIG to arrest him.

 

COMMON PRIORITIES: SINHALA & TAMIL PRESS

 

Photo credits: Sri Lanka Mirror

Deshabandu found guilty over misuse of IGP position and allegations of misconduct: recommendations of the committee of inquiry to remove Deshabandu from the IGP position submitted to parliament; parliamentary debate and vote upcoming    

Lankadeepa, Divaina, Ada, Mawbima, Dinamina, Aruna, Virakesari, Thinakaran, Thinakkural, Thamilan

The Committee of Inquiry (CoI) appointed to examine allegations of gross abuse of power against Inspector General of Police (IGP) Deshabandu Tennakoon has found him guilty on all counts. Speaker of the House Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne stated in parliament yesterday (22nd) that he had received the committee’s final report, which includes a unanimous recommendation for Tennakoon’s removal from office. According to the Speaker, the findings were made under Section 8(2) of the Removal of Officers (Procedure) Act, No. 5 of 2002. Parliament is expected to debate and vote on the recommendation at the end of this month. 

Cabinet approves draft bill to curtail former presidents’ privileges to be tabled before parliament

Lankadeepa, Divaina, Ada, Dinamina, Aruna, Virakesari, Thinakaran, Thinakkural

Cabinet Spokesperson Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa stated that cabinet approval has been granted to present a draft bill in parliament seeking approval to repeal the Presidents’ Entitlements Act, which concerns the privileges given to former presidents. The minister made this statement during the cabinet decisions media briefing held yesterday (22nd) at the Department of Government Information. He noted that, in accordance with the government’s policy statement titled A Prosperous Country – A Beautiful Life, cabinet approval was granted on June 16, 2025 to draft a bill to repeal the Presidents’ Entitlements Act No. 4 of 1986 in order to abolish the special privileges granted to former presidents and their families.

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Common priorities: Additional stories

1. CEB unions protest the electricity act Lankadeepa, Divaina, Ada, Mawbima, Aruna, Virakesari, Thamilan 

2. Former LTTE member arrested in Colombo with a weapon | Youth who was arrested in Kiribathgoda with a T-56 reveals information about an armed gang in Vavuniya  Lankadeepa, Mawbima, Thinakaran

3. “Rs. 50 from every litre of fuel is cut for the loans of the CEYPETCO” – Minister of Power Kumara Jayakody – Divaina, Dinamina, Thinakaran 

4. “The media spokesperson of the Catholic Church has broken the ten commandments” |”Suspicions that the mastermind the Cardinal is looking for is Fr. Jude Fernando” | “Why does the Catholic Church thank the president?” – Gammanpila – Ada, Mawbima, Virakesari

5.  “Minimum wage of the private sector to be increased to Rs. 30,000” – Herath – Dinamina, Virakesari  

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